Rigid interlocking overlapping panel joint with a drain groove



July 14, 1970 J. J. WEBB 3,520,100

RIGID INTERLOCKING OVERLAPPING PANEL JOINT WITH A DRAIN GROOVE Filed Aug. 12, 1968 INV ENT OR BY semmesmdsemmes ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,520,100 Patented July 14, 1970 3,520,100 RIGID IN TERLOCKING OVERLAPPING PANEL JOINT WITH A DRAIN GROOVE Jesse J. Webb, Chamblee, Ga., assignor to Dixistee] Buildings, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed Aug. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 751,867 Int. Cl. E04d 3/36], 13/04 US. Cl. 52-534 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This is a panel construction for buildings which contains structural deep ribs. It defines improved drain grooves, especially in the side lap thereof to ensure proper drainage of moisture created by capillary action and the like. The panel is adapted to lapped installation with corresponding panels, whether each is made of metal or plastic or a combination of the two. The panel construction is said to be balanced to ensure resistance to bending loads that may be applied to either side thereof and as a result of the structure, it creates a uniquely durable and strong building construction.

' BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For building constructions in which semi-rigid and/or rigid panels are used, there is a great need for increased strength thereof, that is with respect to moment of inertia and increased section or panel modulus, the measures of strength capacity in the industry. To develop complemental panels which are useful both on roof and wall areas is a principle objective hereof and to achieve the increased moment of inertia and section modulus per panel, it has been found essential to devise a balanced design such as is inherent in the present concept.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of invention illustrating one complete panel lapping and being lapped by correspondin panels as installed on a roof construction;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the invention of FIG. 1 taken along the lines 2-2 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the panel assembly 100 is rolled of a semi-rigid substance such as steel, aluminum and/or plastic. The essence of the construction resides in the provision for increased strength which is achieved by increasing, over known constructions height and breadth of the major rib 110, which, because of the parallelism of related ribs and intermediate corrugations 132 and 134 respectively, as well as the lapping and lapped end ribs 120, yields an inherent increased section moment of inertia with corresponding increased section modulus. With respect to the major ribs 110, they include elongate panel steps 112 and 114 connected by a unitary shoulder, as shown. These steps on the respective major rib assemblies have opposed counterparts forming a truncated pyramidal cross section as indicated in FIG. 2.

The corresponding end ribs 120 and 120 contain lowermost panel walls 122 and 124 and 122 and 124' joined intermediately thereof by a step, the panel element 124 terminating to form with end flange 128, drain groove 126. In a normal cross section of the entire panel there are two major ribs 110 and two end ribs 120 and 120'. The end rib 120, which has the drain groove defined is overlapped by a corresponding flat roof section of the rib 120'.

The particular arrangement shown may be defined as a balanced design which is capable of carrying bending loads that may be applied to either side of an individual Panel. The present design of panel is thus adapted to either roof or wall areas of building constructions, being subjected respectively to either gravity or wind loadings, producing either positive or negative pressure on the panel. This balanced design is achieved by the disposition of a greater area of metal adjacent the top 116 of the major ribs than is normal, thereby more evenl distributing metal between the top or outermost plane of the panel and the bottom or trough portion thereof. In this way, there is a closer equalization in cross-section of metal between rib and groove of the overall panel, per se. For purposes of definition herein, groove shall constitute those flat portions of the panel represented between corresponding major intermediate and end ribs. For example, it shall include all of the structure in FIG. 2 between the respective major ribs 110 and 110. The design is such as to create a tension connection between contiguous end portions of corresponding panels whereby to form a substantial weatherfree connection, which is insurance against excessive wind and rain, being given by the provision for the drain groove 126, hereinbefore mentioned. Intermediate the respective major intermediate and end ribs are corrugations .132 with a central corrugation assembly 130 having a fiat portion 134. Fastening means 140 are located on the flat portion of the sheet panel intermediate corrugations 132 and ribs 116.

By way of example, the details for a suitable 39.03" rolled Width deep rib panel of the type shown, contains the following dimensions. From the center of the end ribs 120, 36", the height of the respective end ribs, and the major ribs, being 1%; the intermediate corrugations 132 being 95 the same located intermediate the corrugations 130, said corrugations having a width of 1 and a height of A.

In practice, the fastening means is adapted to secure to either roofing or siding means by means of selftapping or self-drilling screws, as shown. Although not shown side laps may also be anchored by the same or similar means to provide a more rigid construction.

I claim:

1. In a lapping panel construction comprising at least two blanks, each of said blanks including at least one longitudinally extending upstanding intermediate rib and longitudinally extending edge ribs externally of said intermediate rib, one said edge rib comprising an exterior overlapping rib and the other comprising an underlapping rib, said edge ribs in a lapped panel construction conjointly forming a panel joint, said overlapping rib defining in cross section a generally stepped truncated pyramid shape graduating from a maximum width at the base thereof to a minimum Width at the top, side walls of the pyramid including upper and lower laterally spaced sloping parallel planar portions, a planar top portion connecting the upper edges of said side walls, and planar portions parallel to said top portion interconnecting respectively said upper and lower side wall portions, said underlapping rib defining in cross section a generally truncated pyramid shape graduating to a minimum width at the top, an inner side wall of the pyramid including upper and lower laterally spaced sloping parallel planar portions, a planar portion interconnecting said upper and lower portions of said inner side wall, an outer sloping planar side wall of the pyramid constituting the outer edge of said underlapping rib, a planar top portion connecting the upper edges of said inner and outer side walls, the lower edge of said outer side wall terminating above common plane extending through said interconnecting planar portions in said overlapping rib, said side another and the outer surfaces of said underlapping rib being in mating engagement with the inner surfaces of said overlapping rib over substantial areas thereof.

2. In a panel construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein said underlapping rib has a drain groove. defined in the uppersurface of said planar top portion thereof.

' 1 References Cited 7 UNITED STATES 1 PATENTS 1,179,523 4/191 Itammond s2 521 2,033,304 3/1936 Roth 52 521 2,417,899 3/1947 Ashman s2 521 and said top P r n f h s ib i ,rgspsafii e y,pa ll ,t one.

V v .4 162,722 4/1875 Wand 52521 .1,681, 819, ,..3.- 33/1928 Small 2 52?630 X 1,977,391 10/1934 Kramer 52-536 X 2,186,297 1/1940 Hunnebeck .52-478 X 3,150,465 9/1964 Johnson 52-537 3,308,596 3/1967 Cooper et al. 52630 3,323,268 6/1967'" Johnson 52487 X .IFOREIGN PATENTS 1,352,957 1 /1964 France,

50,858 -2/19 10 Switzerland;

ALFRED c. PERHAM, Primary Examiner us, C1. X. R. 

